Throwback

As I was looking through my facebook the other day, I came across a post I wrote back in May 2008 titled "Top Ten Reasons Ramapo Rocks." Those of you who went to Ramapo might appreciate reading this again (or I guess for the first time if you've never seen this before), so I'll post it below. Enjoy?

Someone asked me the other day how college had been so far, and I responded by saying “good.” Apparently my response wasn’t entirely convincing because they figured I was being sarcastic and wasn’t thrilled with Ramapo at all (which isn’t the case). This got me thinking about how, when it comes to Ramapo, you usually just hear people bitching about the college. People usually complain that it’s either too quiet or that everyone leaves on the weekends. But the truth is… Ramapo College kicks ass. Not just because it’s a college experience and awesome people go there, but for a variety of other reasons. Out of sheer boredom, I’ve made a list of the top ten reasons why Ramapo College doesn’t suck. So without further adieu…

10. Personal Feel: Ramapo College is a public college that often feels like a private one. After all, the campus isn’t necessarily huge, and the number of enrolled students is less than 6,000. It’s because of this that everyone seems to know each other and the student to teacher ratio is so low. Thank God our classes aren’t in giant lecture halls.

9. Parties: Hey, at least they exist at Ramapo College. Be thankful that we’ve got it better than some other schools, such as Villanova (source: FM Stringer). If you want to go to a party, and you look hard enough, you could probably find one. Likewise, if security wants to bust a party, and they look hard enough, they could probably find the same one you’re at. Fuck.

8. Academic Quality: I guess this should be higher on the list, since people usually go to college to get an education and all. Oh well, I’m not moving it. Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that Ramapo strives for academic excellence, since such a large amount of professors have doctorate degrees. Plus, we get 4-credits per class… regardless of the fact that the experiential component is basically a joke!

7. Events and Clubs: Keeping in mind the scale of the college, Ramapo does a decent job with its involvement of clubs and events and all. SGA and Student Activities always seem to have something up their sleeves, and how many other schools offer any regular student the opportunity to have their own radio show or TV show? Maybe some clubs are more of a “joke” than others (uh yeah… RASCALS Comedy Club totally has more than 5 members at each meeting… haha), but even the smallest of clubs are still awesome and have their perks. More events like that "Assassins" game would be nice (I'd like to play next time). If we can get a campus-wide “wow, our school actually has school spirit” event like Octoberfest to happen again next year, then I’ll be thrilled. Keep the events coming!

6. The Campus: I don’t know how everyone else feels about Ramapo’s campus, but I think it’s amazing. Maybe it’s because I’m from Monmouth County, where there are only plains, but I love how the mountains act as a backdrop on Ramapo’s campus. And although the campus does have its share of state-of-the-art buildings and such, there’s still plenty of nature (and geese, which really isn’t a good thing) to go around. In addition to being scenically pleasing, the campus also has a rape trail. And nothing beats that.

5. The Pavilion: When you think about it, the food at Ramapo really isn’t that bad. Okay, so maybe the Birch is commonly pretty awful, but the Pavilion, my friends, is the place to go for a meal (or the Atrium, if you have a shit load of flex). The variety of food may not be the best, but the quality is usually superb. Nate makes some mean dishes, and the Pavilion also has that awesome guy who was a professional boxer in his home country. Plus, you gotta love the Pavilion’s atmosphere! There are some days that the Pavilion’s food selection is a little weak, but you can still get a solid meal. I must admit, however, that the Pavilion would be ranked higher on my list if it weren’t for that stupid, slow chicken guy (can he move any fucking slower?).

4. The Reservation: Conveniently right down the street from the college is the huge Ramapo Reservation, a natural wonderland of trails, lakes, and Indians (allegedly). From the entrance of the reservation, there’s a wide-open area that’s ideal for picnicking or loitering, right along Scarlet Oak Pond (if you want people’s attention, walk across the pond in the winter when it’s frozen). Not too far into the reservation is Hawk Rock, which is an amazing sight to see. From that scenic view, you can see the entire college. It’s great for taking pictures or if you just need somewhere to go to clear your head. And let’s not forget the waterfall! If you’ve never seen the waterfall, you should probably be ashamed of yourself for not exploring Ramapo’s own backyard. It’s pretty awesome to sit at or climb up (or fall in, if that’s your thing). A short walk beyond the waterfall will suddenly reveal a popular spot in the reservation, the lake. Dogs are usually running around in this lake, and it’s even got a little island thing to sit on. Off to the side of the lake is a great place to swim (illegally) and go tubing in (can we please?). And if you’re really hardcore, you can hike an hour and a half beyond this lake to one of a few scenic views that are fucking unbelievable (try doing the 3-hour hike when there’s snow on the ground… it’s fun). Think Hawk Rock, but more breathtaking and without any other people around. The reservation is massive and leaves so much to be explored.

3. Location: While some may argue that Ramapo’s location is actually its weakness (no college town… or at least that’s what the old, decaying Bocce Ball-playing people say), I feel that its strategic location is great, assuming you have a car. With Route 17 only a few minutes away, you can easily hit up just about any store or restaurant chain you can think of (the only downside is how some stores are closed on Sundays because everybody is too busy praying). You can easily visit one of the many close train stations and take a trip to New York City. The college is also fairly close to a plethora of malls, as well as a 7-11 and a Moe’s Southwestern Grill (it took me way too long to discover that place… it’s kind of like Surf Taco, just not at the beach). And let’s not forget the infamous Stateline Diner. No matter what day or time you go to the Stateline, you’re bound to run into a handful of Ramapo students. My only complaint with Ramapo’s location: why no Mahwah Wawa?

2. Late Night Dining: If I had to propose one thing that most Ramapo students do, it’s that they go to late night dining. Think about it – it’s what we do. I don’t know of many other schools that offer burgers, pizza, fries, and ice cream on campus until 1 am. Perhaps that’s because other schools care about obesity, and we don’t. Late night dining may not have the best quality food, and the selection rarely varies, but it’s certainly an experience. We’ve got themed late nights from sustainability late night to superhero late night. And if an event or concert is occurring on campus, you can bet your ass that when it’s over, everyone will flock to late night dining, where they’ll be greeted by everyone’s favorite unenthusiastic card-swiper, Charlotte. Whether you’re drunk, in the sci-fi club, or just hungry, there’s something for you at late night dining!

1. Housing and Buildings: If there’s one thing I can always brag about, it’s Ramapo’s quality residence housing and state-of-the-art buildings. The Anisfield School of Business is very sexy, if I do say so myself, as is the Bradley Center, and the rest of the academic building isn’t too bad, either (it’s furnished with tons of high-tech stuff, to say the least). As far as housing goes, The Overlook, The Village, Oak, and Maple are all new, clean, and fairly spacious. Every Village apartment comes with a kitchen with a stove, and you never have to worry about bringing your own microwave or fridge at Ramapo. The CPAs are pretty good, and at least they’re finally starting to look much better on the outside! Even Pine and Linden, compared to a lot of other schools, aren’t bad at all. And of course there’s Laurel, which I’m fucking psyched to live in next year!

Okay, well… that’s it. That’s why I think the ‘Po rawks.